Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a manually sweepable, electromechanical computer input device known as a mouse and, particularly, to such a mouse that contains within its physical structure certain improvements, the most prominent of which is a mechanism for playing out, fixing or stabilizing and retracting the mouse cord or cable. Additional aspects of the invention include preferred and alternate embodiments for said fixing or stabilizing of the (extended) cord, as well as a pocket, within the body of the improved mouse design, that serves as a storage port for the cord-to-computer connector.
2. Discussion of Relevant Art
The mouse style disclosed hereinafter is of the conventional, palm-sized type and is used with laptop and desktop computers or calculators which feature mouse input ports that are proximate the mouse work station or pad.
Relevant to this disclosure, yet having significant distinction therefrom, is U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,955 (""955), issued for MANUALLY SWEEPABLE APPARATUS HOUSED IN A COMPUTER MAIN BODY. The device disclosed therein is a laptop computer mouse of less-than-conventional size which is storable in a depressed portion of the computer, adjacent the keyboard. The mouse is rendered operative by manually removing it from the stored position and drawing its cord from the computer body. A take-up reel within the computer body serves to play out and take in the cord; but, the ""955 disclosure dismisses further discussion of this mechanism: xe2x80x9cVarious automatic take-up reels are known . . . xe2x80x9d. In essence, ""955 shows a laptop computer having a detachable, onboard mouse that is physically connected to the computer by means of a computer-stored, extendable-retractable cord, but does not expound on the more detailed aspects of the latter feature.
Another relevant disclosure is made in U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,989 (""989), issued for COMMUNICATIONS AUXILIARY MODULE. The module of this disclosure is used as an organizer for managing the excess or slack cord associated with a computer mouse and/or keyboard device. In two distinct embodiments, the mouse and keyboard cords, of apparently standard length, are taken up by, and played out from, a stand-alone apparatus that is merely an adjunct to a desktop computer. No suggestion of its incorporation into a computer or, more significantly, into a mouse is made.
It thus appears that two highly desirable features, namely cord management for the small data input/output (I/O) device (e.g., mouse, hand scanner, telephone) and the storage of its connector, both in/on the device, have been wanting in the art. Although, to some extent, efforts have been made to incorporate these features in either a laptop computer or a desktop organizer, I believe my invention eclipses those efforts with respect to a number of data I/O devices, irrespective of their sizes.
Because of their materiality to the field and their particular relevance to the instant invention relative to onboard mouse devices and cord management, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,126,955 and 5,670,989 are incorporated by reference, the former for its disclosure of a laptop computer having an I/O device storable thereon and containing cord management means therein, and the latter for its showing of a stand-alone dual cord management system.
As used throughout this paper, the following boldfaced words or terms shall have the indicated meanings:
col defines a saddle or cup-shaped void;
capstan is a reel or spooling device;
cord/electrical cord is an electrical conduit;
data input/output device is a component, electrical or mechanical (electromechanical) that generates or otherwise acquires and transfers data signals to another component;
data receiver is a component or machine to which a data signal is directed;
I/O is an acronym meaning either input or output, or logically, both;
pawl is a mechanical member that presents a tang, a tongue-like extension, for engagement with a notched or tooth-bearing member; and
pocket is a designed void in a member, case or housing of a device.
Other terms will be defined hereinafter as may become necessary and will be presented parenthetically within the text.
As mentioned above, two highly desirable features have been wanting generally in I/O devices, and particularly in computer mouse design. Although attempts have been made to alleviate the cord management problem, there appears little has been done to otherwise secure the cord connector for the vast number of I/O devices that employ such, for example, telephone receivers, portable scanners, microphones, etc. I have overcome these deficiencies, conceptually, by reducing them to practice in their application to a particular devicexe2x80x94a computer mouse. Those of ordinary skill will realize that what is applied herein is applicable to a host of I/O devices that are encountered in many scientific and industrial circles.
The feature for storing, deploying and retracting the device""s cord in, from and into its case is an internal capstan or flanged reel that is spring biased to return to its retracted position. A pawl and ratchet configuration is used to fix or stabilize the cord at points of its extension. For securing the connector, thereby protecting it during transport, I have included in the case design a pocket or port into which the connector is retracted.